Beyond Basketball

For Stephon, seeing the reactions from children—and adults—has been the biggest reward. "One lady, I felt her soul when she hugged me," he says. "She hugged me so tight, and she was like, 'You just don't know what you've done for my family, for me, for people across the world, and for me to be able to sit here and buy a pair of sneakers, it makes me feel great to be able to spend my money.'"

Stephon says he can't explain the feeling he gets from seeing children enjoy his shoes. "Whenever I see the kids, how they respond and how the parents react when they see me, it's like a different feeling because it takes me outside of basketball," he says. "I tell people all the time, this is bigger than basketball."